**GRADUATE FOG GUEST BLOG POST!**
BY BILL BOORMAN, FOUNDER OF THE RECRUITING UNBLOG AND SOCIAL JOB SEARCH
Tomorrow I’m going to the theatre to see Spamalot again (being a baby-boomer, I love all the Python stuff). The musical opens with the words “I’m not dead yet!”
This should be the theme tune for graduate recruitment.
I wrote a blog post recently on my own blog (The Recruiting Unblog) entitled “Lost Generation?”
I was really surprised to discover that a number of graduate training programmes with some major employers were just not getting enough applications.
So few candidates had come forward that these positions were still ‘open’ a month after they should have closed.
I was also shocked by the lack of take-up for three paid intern posts I have been recruiting for. I was expecting an inbox bulging to breaking point – but it was just a trickle.
Each day I’m getting asked to source new interns because the hiring companies can’t find anyone and the university careers offices are almost impossible to work with. Surprisingly, they are totally disinterested in connecting graduates with employers – and spend their time advising on how to draft CVs which are completely inappropriate to the modern job search.
The reason – it seems – for the lack of applications and apathy towards the job market is that there is a general feeling that the graduate job market is dead in the water. But is this really true?
In my experience, many students are electing to do one of four things:
1. Getting in to further debt by extending studies for a few years, often by taking a course that has little commercial value.
2. Strapping on a back-pack and getting the hell out of here.
3. Dedicating life to a study of the under-classes by staying firmly rooted to the sofa and watching episode after episode of Jeremy Kyle, broken up only by Doctors.
4. Accepting a career in the fast food industries in the hope of one day achieving six stars to go with their degree.
If you’re in this position – and seriously contemplating any of the four options listed above – think again. Because there is another way.
Instead, I recommend you get serious about your job search. Pull out all the stops. Be active in social-media and promote your skills via Facebook, Linked In and Twitter. Set up an Employ Me blog on WordPress. Make a Hire Me video and stick it on You Tube. Check any of the job aggregators like 1job that is currently advertising 6,282 jobs for graduates, job board jobsite that are showing 326 jobs for graduate trainees and Twitjobsearch that is showing 3,273 links to graduate trainee jobs just today.
That’s a lot of jobs for a supposedly ‘dead’ market.
As much as you want the security of a permanent job, it’s also worth considering shorter-term options, like a paid internship (Yes, there are still some around!). It might not pay brilliantly, but it will get you real experience if you choose well, and often leads to a job. I’d be glad to help anyone interested in an internship or who just wants to help. Connect with me via my blog, and in terms of your career, you’re not dead yet!
*Do Bill’s comments surprise you?
If employers have jobs and graduates need jobs… what’s going wrong?
I agree with the university careers service comments. I did a masters after my English BA, and when I finished and struggled to find a job, I emailed the university careers service to ask if they can help point me in the direction of jobs suited to my degree(s). Guess what? Either the inbox was unmanned or they just didn’t care, but I never heard back.
With regards to the job search, I have to agree with Bill when he says “get serious about your job search. Pull out all the stops”. I spent weeks searching and applying for jobs, paid and unpaid, before finally landing a paid job thanks to, of all places, Monster.com. Recruitment consultants are literally scouring the profiles on there, so I update mine weekly and I’m now getting about 5 calls a week for jobs that I don’t actually have actual previous experience doing, but that my collective uni / writing experience and interests mean I can be put forward for (i.e. I have a good blog and use Twitter etc in my spare time, can find my way around the internet). I found describing my ‘current position’ as the job I WANT to get, rather than the job I might be doing (i.e., unpaid dogsbody / waitress, Anna Wintour’s shoe shiner).
But I have to say, maybe the employers who aren’t getting the application numbers they want aren’t advertising in the right places. Is it really up to the candidate to search the internet all day long? Or could the company be a little more pro-active?
@Jo
Thanks for commenting – it seems like you agree with Bill that something clearly isn’t working here and that all parties (employers, grads and careers professionals) could be doing a lot more to help the situation (and themselves). I think this is a really important issue and all three groups need to put our heads together to come up with a solution that works for everybody – as the current situation seems to be working for nobody! All the forecasts suggest that the next couple of years will be pretty tough for the job market – so the jobs that ARE there should surely be given proper exposure to the relevant applicants. When the climate is as it is now, having empty vacancies just seems crazy…
@ Any recruiters reading this…
What are your experiences of recruiting for graduate jobs – do you find you’re swamped with applications, but very few good / focussed ones? (ie are panicking applicants using a ‘scattergun’ approach?) Or is it a struggle to find the ‘right’ place to advertise your roles?
Jo,
thanks for commenting and a great success story. this blog post from Richie Dimetteo (cornonthejob) shows how a small change can open doors. in this case his profesional headline on Linked In.http://www.cornonthejob.com/
Ideal world; Employers would be more active in finding you.
Real world: You have to find them. That means hard work.
I also think there is a huge disconnect between where employers think Gen Y grads can be found and how they can be reached. The smallest % of social-media users (8%) are 18 – 25, yet we talk of the connected generation. At the same time, 45% of facebook users sit in this age bracket. companies looking for graduates should be putting 95% of their effort in to this channel IMO, and graduates really need to be opening up their privacy settings, building a profesional page and accepting FB as a business channel. Have a look at The employ Kyle campaign (http://socialjobsearch.wordpress.com/2010/09/22/chrisbrogan-job-search-webinar-hirekyle-bonus/), he now has 4 offers and 9 interviews to go. More effort and less apathy will land the opportunity.
Bill
I agree when you both say that all parties need to up the effort. I follow the blog and twitter of a girl who works in PR whose company was recently on the lookout for a paid intern. By her account as the person looking over the applicants, the calibre of people applying was the problem, not the volume. Spelling mistakes, badly written cover letters, no cover letters at all, even people who made typos spelling the word ‘relations’.
I sympathise with both sides: the grads who are filling out their 10th application / cover letter of the day and sending it into the abyss never to hear anything again, versus the employers who are on the receiving end of their scrappy applications and thinking ‘this is where the real problem of grad unemployment lies’.
I also agree Bill, about the social media stats you mention. I was tweeting the other day ironically about the fact that I am the only one of all my friends aged anywhere from 20-27 who has a Twitter account they actually use (most of whom are in arts, PR, marketing, media, sales). If anything, they sign up, fail to ‘get it’ and quickly abandon the service. All of my twitter contacts are those I’ve met online through blogging.
You wouldn’t catch me opening up my facebook profile in aid of a job search though, unfortunately. There are still more nosey members of the public and unwanted ex ‘friends’ perusing the site than employers, IMO. There’s LinkedIn for that stuff.
@Jo
I strongly agree on this one – I think the relationship between recruiters and jobseekers is seriously dysfunctional and things could be greatly improved for both sides with very little effort.
As you’ll know if you’ve visited the Graduate Fog Job Board or my blog post about why i set it up, I think a basic courtesy that employers could extend would be replying to all applicants, as standard.
It is miserable enough being unemployed without feeling like your efforts don’t even deserve a quick email to say you’ve been unsuccessful, so you can cross that job off your list. I think recruiters should understand how offensive it is to say ‘We don’t have time to reply to every applicant’, when applicants have taken hours, sometimes DAYS sweating over their long and demanding application forms. There are plenty of software applications – like PPS Works – that do this now at the touch of a button, so there really is no excuse for this lack of respect.
We have already seen employers being warned that the way they treat their candidates has a direct impact on their profits:
Ignored candidates take revenge on rude recruiters
I don’t know this for sure, but I predict that if recruiters treated candidates with a bit more respect, they’d receive a lot stronger applications. It’s not rocket science. If you make people feel worthless and dispensable, no wonder they don’t give applications their best shot. Make them feel valued and respected and they’ll give you their all.
I have a question…
Do these recruiters also provide financial help to those who would be forced to relocate for the job? I know many who would just not apply for a job that is across the country if the company didn’t offer relocation assistance.
Companies have to remember that they are limiting themselves if they don’t offer any relocation support as they then only have access to people who live nearby.
Many graduates are in a lot of debt. Their only income is the £51 per week they get from the job centre. They can’t afford to move across the country unless their parents have enough money to help them. Many of us don’t have those types of parents.
Also when it comes to interviews – I think if I have reached the second stage of the recruitment process (after the first face to face interview) it is only fair that the recruiter pays for my costs to get to the interview and back home.
If they think I could be the right candidate for the job they should do all this. Yes – it could be expensive for them but they have far more money than most grads have.
To companies – if you want grads put on your job advert that you would be prepared to pay relocation costs. Relocating costs a lot of money. Many don’t realise but the graduate is probably going to need £2k for the first month (work it out – you will see I am right).
Jo, Tanya, Wayne,
First things first, I agree the system is preety s**t at the moment. The reality is that it is the system. the best use of your energies would be working out how to work the system, and their are plenty of ways. I understand everyones concern about Facebook but it is a much changed channel, and all the new applications are bringing it to the frount in job hunting. Branch out is the main one, although new apps are coming to market everyday. Certainly all graduates should be looking at Brave New talent and creating profiles. In terms of privacy, if I want to find your info on FB I will and privacy settings on 9 out of 10 profiles are not locked down properly. Accepting this, best either open them up or set up a seperate “business” profile and fanpage for networking. If I was a graduate job seeking right now I would be using a fan page with hire me details on it and targeted facebook ads aiming at individuals or companies I was interested in. Tailored ads get great click through rates and they are very cheap, charging for clicks only. Check out the volume of potential targets by clicking on the Create Ad page. it is a simple process that will tell you how many people you can reach.
couple of points, when you talk recruiters, are you talking Recruitment Agencies or Hiring companies? Both need a seperate approach if you want to be succesful.
Acknowledgment notes are unacceptably low. i ran an experiment in which 100 cv’s were sent off for jobs via an ATS, we recieved 3 acknowledgments, automated or not. This is just lazy and wrong and i am constantly pushing for improvments and naming and shaming. I’m now working with PeopleClues on a project for providing resources to rejected candidates. watch this space for more.
In terms of relocation and expenses, don’t assume they are not paid. That is part of the apathy that is going around. Always ask before you go, and include relocation in negotiations when offers are forthcoming. I know plenty of companies that budget for this, but only pay if it is asked for. See how you get on,
Best of luck
Bill
@BillBoorman
With respect, I fear you are showing your ‘baby boomer’ years here Bill! ; ) I understand what you mean about jobseekers using their energies to work with the existing system, but at Graduate Fog we are all about challenging the status quo and retain the right to discuss openly what we think could – and should – be done differently, to improve it! : )
I’m really glad to hear someone from the HR community saying this! And you’ve given me and idea for a new campaign ; )
I’m really surprised to hear you say this. Is this generally just for the big graduate programmes though? I can’t imaging smaller companies (hiring grads on less than 20k) being happy to stump up a bonus £2k for moving costs, before that grad has even started the job? And what if it doesn’t work out, for any reason, and the grad leaves before their probation period is up? Do they have to give the money back? This could prove tricky, no?
@BillBoorman
First things first, I agree the system is preety s**t at the moment. The reality is that it is the system. the best use of your energies would be working out how to work the system
(Tanya writes)
With respect, I fear you are showing your ‘baby boomer’ years here Bill! ; ) I understand what you mean about jobseekers using their energies to work with the existing system, but at Graduate Fog we are all about challenging the status quo and retain the right to discuss openly what we think could — and should — be done differently, to improve it! : )
@Tanya – how do you know that Bill is a Baby Boomer? Or that you think the system reflects a “Baby Boomer” way of doing things? I’d say a lot of the people hiring now are just as likely to be Gen X – us of the “latchkey” generation, who are (reputedly) prickly at being managed, due partly to having brought ourselves up with minimum parenting!
Not that this makes a great deal of difference if you’re the person who never hears back from your application. But I think the problem of radio silence is due to many different factors (with an ATS system a CV might get rejected on initial scan, and is never read by human eyes; so many applications for vacancies overwhelm HR / hiring managers who don’t have the time to inform unsuccessful applicants; a rejection message might get sent but ends up in your spam email folder…) I’m not saying it’s good practice not to inform unsuccessful applicants, but I can see how it might happen – and this may have no reflection on the age of the hiring manager!
But what it means (in my opinion) is that if you’re going to be in this system (i.e. trad ways of looking for a job) then you need to find ways to circumvent what you find irritating / rude and work with what you’ve got. So, for example, instead of only applying via job boards or through company application forms, find other ways of getting noticed. Build your contacts, network, find a way in through the back door, rather than through the front door, for example. Use only job boards that are niche (i.e. grad only) or that have certain type of ads…
This is in no way knocking what you’re saying: the more you can publicise and change attitudes, the better. But this sort of change is gradual – so if you’re looking for work now, knowing how “the system” works – and being able to “work the system” might pay off quicker.
Clare
@Clare
Bill referred to himself a baby boomer in the first line of his post! But you’re right, i shouldn’t say that his views reflect those of all baby boomers. It’s just that I don’t generally respond well to being told ‘That’s just the way things are – so accept it and get on with it.” As you well know! ; )
I know what you mean – but Clare, it’s 2010. These people should be able to sort out a way to send an f***ing email! If we can put a man on the moon, surely we can get this right?! ; )
I actually don’t think it should take that long to make a few basic changes. It’s just that nobody has ever shouted about this before. I think it’s time that we outline what we think is / isn’t acceptable / respectful behaviour. And it starts with sending an acknowledgement / rejection email…! Seriously, how hard can it be?!
“Bill referred to himself a baby boomer in the first line of his post!”
Oops – so he did – my mistake!
“I know what you mean — but Clare, it’s 2010. These people should be able to sort out a way to send an f***ing email! If we can put a man on the moon, surely we can get this right?! ; )”
You’re right, but if it’s not part of someone’s work priority, it may well get overlooked. I’m not saying this is right, or desirable, but just that it happens – and not necessarily through laziness or evil intent. You get one HR person / hiring manager doing the work of two, overwhelmed by applications (or not even seeing them all before they get automatically rejected perhaps) and they’re going to be more focussed on contacting the potentials than informing the unsuccessfuls if they’re too stretched for time.
Does it make it right? No. But if feedback is crucial, then I’d suggest choosing a job-search method where feedback is more likely. Through personal contacts, networking, contacting companies when they’re not hiring, etc.
Another approach is to contact the organisation if you haven’t heard by their deadline and try to find out the status of your application. You might not get a response either, but at least you’ll have tried.
Clare
Tanya,
Best not to put barriers out there, just ask for relocation in the package. sometimes you get it, sometimes you don’t. the simple truth:
1: you don’t get what you don’t ask for.
2: you don’t get 100% of the jobs you don’t apply for. Apply and find out. Don’t sit in the “no point applying because …..
I understand the crusade to improve the candidate experience. This is not exclusively for graduates, common courteousy should extend to everyone. Thats why i support the NORA’s as a judge. I blog on this often and promote Recruiter reviews. A site that allows candidates to rate their experience.
You should continue voicing a reflection of poor candidate experience. Might also be good to balance it with some posts on employers that do it well to give a balanced picture.
I’m not justifying the system of applying for a job and getting employed, it is broken. At the same time, it is important not to create a feeling of all doom and gloom in which there is no point. We have to work with a broken system at the moment and not give up.
Getting social and networking takes away a lot of these issues, as Clare has pointed out.
Bill